Live Commentary: Netherlands 0-0 France - as it happened

Netherlands had a goal controversially disallowed in Friday's 0-0 draw with France at Euro 2024.

Xavi Simons picked out the bottom corner in the 69th minute of the contest, but it was disallowed for an offside on Denzel Dumfries following a lengthy VAR check.

The draw has moved both Netherlands and France onto four points in Group D, but neither side are guaranteed a spot in the knockout round at the competition at this stage.

You can relive Sports Mole's minute-by-minute commentary of the Euro 2024 contest below.

9.57pmThat is just about it from me. Four points should be enough to see both Netherlands and France qualify for the last-16 stage of the competition. I shall leave you with our match report. Thanks for joining us!

9.54pmSo there we have it. All square. The main talking point was undoubtedly the disallowed goal in the second period, which was incredibly harsh. Netherlands were very strong in their structure, and in the end, were worth a point here despite France having some excellent chances.

FULL TIME:

90 min+6NETHERLANDS 0-0 FRANCE

90 min+4The first goalless draw of the tournament is upon us. Nearly there.

90 min+2Smart work from Weghorst to block a strike from Kante, who had just worked some space inside the Netherlands box.

90 min+1We are into the first of five added minutes here.

CHANCE!

89 minBig moment for France as Rabiot breaks down the left, but his cross is just too strong for Coman. Wasn't the best pass from Rabiot it must be said.

87 minSaliba has been sensational at the back for France tonight by the way. An absolute travesty that his Euro 2024 starting spot had been in severe doubt.

85 minNot too much happening at the moment. Both sides are losing the ball too easily. But you just get the feeling that there could be one final big chance here.

83 minWill there be a winner in the latter stages of this contest? At the moment, the talking point is the disallowed goal for Netherlands, which came after a lengthy VAR check.

81 minGiroud finds himself inside the Netherlands box, but the forward can only flick the ball wide of the post. Still all square in this Group D fixture.

79 minNETHERLANDS SUB! Weghorst replaces Memphis.

77 minNetherlands found the back of the net during a period when France were dominant, but the match has settled down again, with both sides enjoying spells with the ball.

75 minFRANCE SUBS! Dembele and Thuram are replaced by Coman and Giroud.

75 minJust to confirm, it is still 0-0. Simons found the bottom corner, but the effort was chalked off for an offside following a VAR check. Looked a very harsh one.

73 minNETHERLANDS SUBS! Dumfries is also off for Geertruida, while Veerman replaces Schouten.

73 minNETHERLANDS SUB! Wijnaldum replaces Simons.

DISALLOWED GOAL!

72 minNo goal! It has been disallowed! Looked a harsh one, Simons fired into the bottom corner, but Dumfries was very close to Maignan, who might have been looking to dive down to that corner.

72 minStill no decision.

71 minStill we wait. It is being checked.

70 minSimons fires into the back of the net, but the goal could be ruled out for an offside on Dumfries, who was very close to the France goalkeeper.

69 minHold on! This may be disallowed!

GOAL!

69 minNETHERLANDS 1-0 FRANCE (SIMONS)

SHOT!

68 minDembele this time, with the forward firing just over the crossbar. Good strike!

68 minFrance continue to quicken the pace here, with Kante delivering wide into Dembele, but his cross is gathered by Verbruggen. Not too much from Netherlands at the moment.

66 minIt's all France. The Blues are pushing for the opener here.

CHANCE!

65 minHad to score! It comes for Griezman inside the Netherlands box, but the Atletico forward sees his weak effort saved by Verbruggen. Blimey!

65 minNo sign of any changes at the moment, which isn't too much of a surprise. Neither manager will be too concerned. As mentioned, a draw would be a decent result for both.

CHANCE!

63 minBig chance as Dembele delivers an excellent cross onto the head of Tchouameni, but his effort is just over the crossbar. France are creating opportunities now.

CLOSE!

62 minMuch better from France, with Rabiot feeding the ball into Thuram, and he strikes a powerful effort wide of the Netherlands goal. More like it!

SHOT!

60 minTchouameni shoots, and it goes for a throw. Yep, that wasn't great.

SHOT!

58 minRabiot fires well over the crossbar from inside the Netherlands box.

57 minThis match is quite hard work at the moment. There has been a lack of quality from both sides in the final third of the field. Still goalless with little over 30 minutes left.

SHOT!

55 min... Memphis straight into the wall.

54 minHere we go. Netherlands have a free kick in an excellent position, as Dembele brings Simons to the ground just outside the penalty box...

SHOT!

53 minKante works a yard of space outside the Netherlands box, but his effort was always rising over the crossbar. No danger for the Dutch goalkeeper.

52 minNothing much to report in the second period. There hasn't been a goalless draw at the tournament thus far. Oh dear. Could it be?

50 minSome serious talent on the France bench tonight. Will we see Mbappe? To be honest, it would be a surprise unless Netherlands were to take the lead. There will be a risk attached to playing him.

48 minNo half-time changes, as expected. France have started on the front foot, but Netherlands are happy to just sit in their structure and wait for the chance to break.

KICKOFF:

46 minFrance get the second period underway here...

8.58pmThe second half will soon get underway here - it will be very interesting to see whether either manager looks to make changes early in the second period. As mentioned, a draw is a good result for both sides. It would not guarantee qualification tonight, but it would almost certainly be enough to advance to the round of 16.

8.56pm

Griezmann has been brilliant thus far tonight.

8.54pmFrance had 60% of the ball in the first period, with Netherlands having 40%. Both sides have had six shots, with Netherlands managing three on target to France's two. It has been an even match, with France potentially winning on points if it were a boxing bout.

8.52pmMissed this earlier, but it is brilliant...

Chris Sutton's preview of France-Netherlands is a belter ðŸ¤£ðŸ¤£ðŸ¤£ pic.twitter.com/wxOJUHj30o

— Not Match of the Day (@NOT_MOTD) June 19, 2024

HALF TIME:

8.50pmNothing to separate the two sides in the opening 45 minutes. Both teams have had their moments in the Group D contest, but it is goalless at the interval. A draw is a decent result for both sides to be honest.

HALF TIME:

8.48pmNETHERLANDS 0-0 FRANCE

45 minAlmost the half-time break here. Still 0-0.

SAVE!

44 minComfortable for the Netherlands goalkeeper to keep out a header from Griezmann, who had found himself in a dangerous position inside the Dutch penalty box.

42 minNot nice to see here, as Griezmann has some items thrown at him while he is waiting to take a corner. Just so unnecessary. Ruins it.

SHOT!

41 min... Griezmann's effort is straight into the wall. No bother.

40 minFrance have a free kick in an excellent position as Van Dijk fouls Dembele...

40 minGriezmann stands over a free kick in a dangerous position, but Van Dijk towers above everyone to make the clearance. Still goalless here.

38 minNetherlands are missing that world-class piece in the final third of the field, it must be said. A Ruud van Nistelrooy, a Robin van Persie. Someone of that ilk. A lot of their work tonight up until that final piece has been excellent.

SAVE!

36 minEasy save for Maignan to keep out a low strike from Simons.

SHOT!

36 minSmart block from Saliba to deny Frimpong, who had again used his pace to break into a shooting position. Excellent from Saliba.

34 minLittle over 10 minutes until the half-time break, and the score remains level. France have been the better side, but Netherlands will also be pleased with their work.

YELLOW CARD!

32 minSchouten goes in the book for pulling Griezmann to the ground.

30 minGriezmann is such a wonderful footballer. We probably aren't ever going to see him in the Premier League, which is a real shame. You feel like he would be an absolute star in English football. He is picking up some excellent positions inside the Dutch half here.

SHOT!

28 minThuram beats the Dutch offside trap and breaks into a shooting position, but his effort is wild. Should have done better from that position!

27 minGakpo finds himself in a dangerous position, but the Liverpool attacker cannot feed the ball into Memphis. It was again smart work from Frimpong down the right for Netherlands.

26 min

It's been a very good battle thus far.

24 minDumfries gets in at the far post to meet a deep delivery, but his header was always drifting wide of the post.

22 minFrance are in control of this match at the moment. The early possession from Netherlands is long gone. The Blues are dominating this football game.

20 minAt the risk of banging on about England; the Three Lions just don't live with France in this type of form. The football is just so much better, so much crisper.

18 minLovely football from France in the middle of the park, involving both Kante and Griezmann, and it gets played wide to Hernandez, with his cross being blocked behind.

SAVE!

16 minVery smart save from Maignan to keep out a low strike from Gakpo!

16 minThis is definitely more open than I thought it would be. Both sides are having spells with possession, but there have already been some big chances in this match.

CHANCE!

14 minThis time it does come for Griezmann, and he fires just wide!

CHANCE!

14 minOh my word! Has to score! Glorious chance for France, but Rabiot decides to poke the ball towards Griezmann inside the box, and Netherlands can clear. Rabiot had to shoot!

14 minDumfries and Frimpong are causing problems down the right for Netherlands. At the moment, France do not look comfortable defending that side of the pitch. Fourteen on the clock here. We await the first goal.

12 minBit of possession for Netherlands now. Very even game thus far.

10 minPass, pass, pass from France. Hernandez gets in down the left, but his cross is cleared.

PENALTY APPEAL!

8 minMemphis goes to ground inside the France box under a challenge from Saliba. The referee says absolutely not. Looked the right call from Anthony Taylor.

8 minThe match has just settled down a touch, with France enjoying possession of the ball. Frimpong is almost playing alongside Memphis at the moment for Netherlands. Frimpong's pace really is absolutely frightening. Is he quicker than Mbappe?

6 minThis has been a brilliant start, and the atmosphere inside the stadium helps. Netherlands are pushing forward in numbers, while France are breaking with pace. The opening six minutes of this contest have absolutely flown past.

SAVE!

4 minSmart save from the Dutch goalkeeper to keep out a long-range Griezmann strike.

3 minFrance deal with the resulting corner, with Deschamps' side winning a free kick just outside their own box. Strong start from Netherlands here.

SAVE!

1 minBlimey! Stunning pace from Frimpong to break into a shooting position, and France goalkeeper Maignan has to push the ball wide. Frimpong was like a rocket there.

KICKOFF:

1 minNetherlands get this fixture underway!

8.00pmHere we go. It's time. Netherlands against France at Euro 2024. Give us a 4-4.

7.58pmTime for Netherlands to sing their anthem...

7.56pmFrance could well be in a 4-4-2 tonight, with Griezmann up alongside Thuram, and Rabiot operating in a wide midfield role. You suspect that Netherlands will be allowed to have a decent share of the possession in this contest. The French national anthem is up first...

7.54pmHere we go then. Little over five minutes now. The players are entering the field. Griezmann leads France out, while Van Dijk skippers Netherlands. Two absolute superstars.

7.52pmThis story about Memphis Depay is brilliant...

Wayne Rooney once had to give Memphis Depay a talking to at a reserve game ðŸ¤£#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #NEDFRA pic.twitter.com/TgucU3WNey

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 21, 2024

7.50pmJust 10 minutes until kickoff now. The atmosphere inside the stadium is sensational. Hopefully this will be one of the matches of the tournament thus far.

7.48pmInteresting little bit of information from BBC Sport reporter John Bennett here... "Kylian Mbappe took off the mask and shook his head as he walked down the tunnel after the warm-up, it looked like he wasn't finding it comfortable at all. Looks like it's going to take some getting used to for him." Ok, this is the last mention of Mbappe and the mask before kickoff.

7.46pmSome context on the recent meetings between the two sides...

France have dominated the Netherlands in their last 10 meetings ðŸ˜®â€ðŸ’¨ðŸ”¥ðŸ”µ pic.twitter.com/BMBgVGmM5k

— OneFootball (@OneFootball) June 21, 2024

7.44pmOk, I'm going to need one of these Mbappe masks. They are everywhere inside the stadium. It is going to be the must-have present in the coming weeks.

7.42pmFrance boss Didier Deschamps is bidding to create some personal history at this summer's European Championship. Should the Blues triumph at Euro 2024, Deschamps would become the first man to win the World Cup and the European Championship as both a player and a coach. The 55-year-old led France to the 2018 World Cup, while he won the competition as a player in 1998; Deschamps also helped his country win Euro 2020.

7.40pmJust a word on William Saliba. He was not expected to start for France at Euro 2024, but it would have been so harsh to leave him out considering his performances for Arsenal last season. I'm not sure that there is a better centre-back in the Premier League.

7.38pm

ðŸš¨ðŸ‡«ðŸ‡· Mbappe's protective mask could be ð—•ð—”ð—¡ð—¡ð—˜ð—— for violating UEFA's Equipment Regulations.

In article 42.01.i.i, UEFA states:
Medical equipment (inc. head protection/face-masks) must be a single colour and free of team and manufacturer identification.

New mask incoming? ðŸŽ pic.twitter.com/J9MY1XwhDl

— The Football Shirt Club (@TFSCUK) June 21, 2024

This is now confirmed. The previous mask was very smart, but he will be wearing an all-black one if he comes onto the field tonight.

7.36pmCesc Fabregas has just said on BBC Sport that playing with a mask is "not pleasant". However, the former Spain midfielder insisted that Mbappe has nothing to worry about. Will we see the France captain tonight?

7.34pmClarence Seedorf has just come up on the big screen inside the stadium and delivered a message of support for Netherlands. Good grief what a player he was by the way. Simons will be the player that Netherlands look to for creativity in this contest.

7.32pmLess than 30 minutes until kickoff now. The atmosphere inside the stadium is building nicely. It really is an intriguing one tonight. I must say that I fancy France, but it could be a 1-0 or a 2-1 game. A loss for Netherlands would not be the end of the world.

7.30pmJust look at this. Football, there is just nothing like it.

Wow, the Netherlands are having a party in Leipzig ahead of their game against France tonight...

Incredible! ðŸ‘ pic.twitter.com/3ZXWQXTnId

— Football Away Days (@FBAwayDays) June 21, 2024

7.28pm"We'll try to improve our game," France forward Antoine Griezmann said ahead of this match. "Defensively, I thought we played great, but in attack, we should have converted two or three chances to really finish them off. We'll try and to that, and ensure we're all at 100%, physically and technically." France will be looking for an improvement from the Austria clash.

7.26pmThe same can actually be said for Netherlands. There are a lot of options for head coach Ronald Koeman all over the field. This is shaping up to be a cracking match.

7.24pmEngland and France were viewed as the favourites pre-tournament. Not sure about England now to be fair, but France will be expecting to win Euro 2024, that is the confidence in the camp. To be honest, their bench is utterly ridiculous. Some talent in reserve.

7.22pm

MbappÃ© is ready (from the bench). ðŸŽðŸ‡«ðŸ‡· pic.twitter.com/NWUWRl4cNS

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 21, 2024

It is some turnaround to be fair. The nose will be sore.

7.20pmWorth mentioning that Tchouameni has not played since Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich on May 8, as he missed the end of the La Liga campaign, and the European Cup final, due to injury. He will play alongside Mbappe at club level next term.

7.18pmBoth of these sides will finish their Euro 2024 group-stage campaign on Tuesday, with Netherlands tackling Austria, and France taking on Poland. In truth, it would be a shock if both did not progress from Group D, having won their opening fixtures.

7.16pmFrance, meanwhile, navigated their way past Austria. It was far from a vintage performance, but an own goal from Maximilian Wober late in the first period proved to be the difference between the two sides. The major story from that match was the injury for Mbappe, which had threatened to rule him out of the tournament.

7.14pmNetherlands will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 success over Poland on June 16. Poland actually led 1-0 in that contest, but Cody Gakpo levelled the scores before Manchester United legend Wout Weghorst came off the bench to win it in the 83rd minute. Are Netherlands dark horses for this tournament?

7.12pmOk, some context for this match; Austria have just beaten Poland 3-1 in Group D's other fixture this evening - Ralf Rangnick is doing some job. As a result, a win for either Netherlands or France here would take them into the knockout round, but a draw is also likely to be enough. France would definitely top the group if they win tonight, but the same cannot be said for Netherlands, who would not be certain of first even if they triumph.

7.10pmNetherlands have also made one change to the side that started against Poland, with Joey Veerman replaced by Jeremie Frimpong. Memphis Depay again leads the line, while exciting talent Xavi Simons will feature as the number 10. Manchester United are thought to be keen on Simons this summer.

7.08pmNETHERLANDS XI: Verbruggen; Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake; Schouten, Reijnders, Simons; Frimpong, Depay, Gakpo SUBS: Biljow, Flekken, Geertruida, De Ligt, Wijnaldum, Weghorst, Van de Ven, Veerman, Blind, Malen, Brobbey, Maatsen, Zirkzee, Bergwijn, Gravenberch

7.06pmNo Mbappe in the France XI, with the soon-to-be Real Madrid forward breaking his nose against Austria last time out. There had been fears over his participation in the rest of the tournament, but Mbappe is on the bench, and he could still play a part tonight. Aurelien Tchouameni is the player to benefit, as he comes into midfield.

7.04pmFRANCE XI: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni; Dembele, Griezmann, Rabiot; Thuram SUBS: Samba, Areola, Pavard, Mendy, Camavinga, Giroud, Mbappe, Kolo Muani, Zaire-Emery, Fofana, Coman, Clauss, Konate, Barcola

7.02pmWe have to kick off with the team news. Does Kylian Mbappe start?!

7.00pmGood afternoon/evening! Thank you very much for tuning into Sports Mole's live commentary of Netherlands against France. It is the top two in Group D, and a win for either in this match would take them into the round of 16. It should be a cracking match!

Live Commentary: Netherlands 0-0 France - as it happened

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